Innehållsförteckning för October 2021 från Fast Bikes

SPEEDANGLE 2 TESTED BY: BRUCE MILES: 4000+ TIME: TWO YEARS PRICE: £349.99 WEB: WWW.RG-RACING.COM A lot of what we do involves timing and comparison, and while a sun dial might be the most appropriate device for measuring my ‘hot laps’ on a racetrack, a proper lap timer is a lot easier to read. It also means we can measure things like top speeds, lean angles and how fast a bike will decelerate; the stuff we need to know before putting fingers to keyboard and rating (or berating) the latest and greatest bikes on the market. To do so accurately, for many years we’ve leaned heavily on the capabilities of the Speedangle timing device, which has now been superseded by the fancier Speedangle 2. It’s absolutely brimming with features, and comes pre-loaded with most UK circuits…

When it comes to MV Agusta’s Brutale 800 and Superveloce models, it’s fair to say that the Italian marque has crafted two insanely gorgeous and yet completely different machines, despite a wealth of cross-over tech and components. Which of these two weapons is most worthy of your wonga? Some days at work are good, and some days are great. But when there are two utterly gorgeous MV Agustas sitting in the garage waiting for a serial spanking – well, that’s the sort of day that dreams are made off. And both are special in their own way; the Superveloce has been crafted for beauty in one of the nicest retro dresses we’ve ever seen, while the naked and audacious Brutale 800 RR SCS comes equipped with so much styling and…

FB: How long have you been running the team in BSB, and how did it first come about? SR: “Well, I first opened the shop (Raceways Motorcycles) in 1991, but my first involvement with racing was in 1989, helping Jonathan, who now works in the team. We were running 125s in the British championship on and off for a few years until 1997, and then we started with Supersport. “We ran Hondas for three years and then had a few years out until 2006 and 2007, when we ran in the Superstock 1000 class. “We went back to Supersport in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and finished second in the championship each year! We didn’t get going again until 2016 and had another second place in Supersport, and then we started…

TIME ON TEST: TWO MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP:165 GAIN:0 NEXT AIM:RACK UP THE ROAD MILES Being new to this bike journo malarkey, I honestly didn’t even know what a ‘long termer’ was… I guess I should have read the mag more. Anyhow, when I joined the Fast Bikes team in June, Bruce said I’d be a getting a bike for at least half a year to basically go wherever and do whatever I want with. I couldn’t quite believe it – I’ve never had a bike on the road before and being a racer, the first thing that came to mind was a sportsbike, obviously… the fastest, coolest, priciest bike I could get my hands on. Well, having completed the Ultimate Sport Bike Test 2021, they’d now be my last…

STAR LETTER GIVE US A CHANCE… Is it just me or does everyone have a mate that can run rings around them on the track without trying? Not only that, but a bloke who can get his knee down on demand without fear of a slipped disc and a week in recovery. I’m clocking on in years but not in pace, and that left me a little frustrated a few weeks back when me and my pal Alan went to Blyton circuit to spin some laps and I got an absolute shoeing. I was hanging off my R1 like a chimpanzee but never once did I feel my slider brush the Tarmac, which did my head in. As for Alan my only hope is Greta doesn’t find out how much…

TRIPLE TREAT Speed Triple-based retro sportsbike on the way from Triumph It’s been 15 years since Triumph sold a full-bore sportsbike – the Daytona 955i. It was a bit on the beefy side and down on power compared with the ‘proper’ 1,000cc fours, but it could hustle on the road and had a cult appeal. Sadly, Triumph hasn’t seemed bothered by the proper sportsbike market since -though the 675 Daytona ruled in the supersport class for several years and is still a belter of a bike. There were plenty of rumours of unlimitedclass superbikes in the 2000s – from a 1,000cc triple replacement for the 955i to a Hayabusa-slaying 1,200cc inline-four hyperbike. But the Hinckley firm has concentrated on the retro, naked and adventure sectors since, and with plenty of…

There are rare bikes that might come with an interesting back story, or which have been produced in small numbers to satisfy homologation rules. There are also special bikes that happen when engineers are let loose and the bean counters kept out of the room. There are also unicorns – bikes that are all of the above, but which also come with enough urban myth to cast doubt as to their existence at all. The Petronas FP1 is one such bike, whose legend is made by virtue of the fact that not one of the road bikes produced for homologation in 2003 were even officially sold – they are ghosts. Almost every piece of media coverage the FP1 has had since it was produced has been speculation, and reports of…

As far as first impressions go, I really wasn’t sure how I’d take the Superveloce. It looks stunning in photos but they can be deceiving – yet the first time my retinas met with that gorgeous red colour scheme, I knew I was in for a treat. Even though it was just silently sitting there, the Superveloce’s presence is so loud it makes a Boeing 747 sound quiet, with everything from the rear LED light that looks like Iron Man’s Arc Reactor to those organ-style exhaust pipes making it stand out from the crowd. But then again, getting up close and personal with the 800 only shows the extra thought that’s gone into it… perhaps a little too much, in my opinion. See, alongside the nice touches – like the…

For two bikes that are so similar, they couldn’t really be more different. I feel like it’s the equivalent of having twins – one becomes a butler in The Ritz, while the other takes up a career fighting in MMA. Yet somehow, both machines really did make me feel incredibly special in their own very distinct ways. The Superveloce truly is a beauty and it turned heads everywhere we went, with its sleek design and bold colours. Yet even with all the effort that’s gone into the appearance, MV has managed to pull off a corker when it comes to getting out and riding the thing, packing it with as much substance as style. It rides like a sportsbike, it’s comfortable and, best of all, it’s a blast to ride…

PRICE GUIDE: £2600 – £4000 Cheapest private: £2600 40,000 miles, red 2004 Daytona 600 in fair condition with MOT Our choice private: £3495 12,800 miles, just serviced Daytona 600 with race-rep paintwork Cheapest dealer: £3290 8,847 miles, 2004 red 2004 Daytona 600 in excellent condition Our choice dealer: £3699 13,249 miles, lovely low mileage Daytona 650 with a long MOT Ex-demo: n/a RUNNING COSTS: Service interval: Minor: £6000 Major: £12,000 Valve clearances: £12,000 Service costs: Minor: £180 Major: £420 Right fairing: £218.70 RH Engine casing: £56.24 Brake lever: £51.02 Remember 2003? It seems like an eternity ago when Crazy In Love topped the charts and the Iraq war kicked off, but away from Beyonce and Blair some pretty seismic changes were happening in the two-wheeled world. This was the year…

The most striking Fireblade around town… there’s no two ways about it! When it comes to tribute acts, there are very few that actually nail it, but I have to say, I reckon Bob has done a cracking job with this bike. The closer you look, the better it gets; it’s an absolute peach. Undeniably, it’s the first thing that you notice with this bike, and I’ve got to say I love this flamboyant livery, which is inspired by the 1993 Honda Fireblade designed by Tadoa Baba. I don’t know the actual name of this design, but Bob’s calling it the Unicorn… it works for me. Personally, I’d like to see manufacturers taking gambles on their designs more often. This one has definitely stood the test of time. Bob Collins…

If you’ve been a naughty biker, you need some decent legal advice. Get it from mail@whitedalton.co.uk Q I am very concerned about a case my son is involved in. My son has mild learning difficulties but can cope with his job and lives alone. Basically he is dyslexic and has a low IQ, but he is independent. He was involved in a minor collision and he is now going to court to claim damages. I have seen other things you have written, and I have had a look at the papers with my son. He has signed papers saying he needed a hire motorcycle to get to work. He didn’t. He has a motorcycle, but he cycles to work and always has done. He can keep his pedal cycle in…

SICOM DMC CERAMIC REAR BRAKE DISC FOR DUCATI PANIGALE V4, V2 AND STREETFIGHTER Ceramic brake discs have been essential fitments on the best supercars for years now and they’re now becoming available for bikes. The benefits are huge: much less rotating mass, no corrosion problems, and great looks – and unlike race carbon brakes, they work at all temperatures, and in the wet too. The 6mm-thick SICOM discs are made from fibre-reinforced double-matrix composite materials, and the carriers include threaded holes for ABS sensor ring fitment where required. These SICOM T-Drive rear discs are a top-notch upgrade for the Ducati Panigale V4, 1199, 1299, V2 and Streetfighter ranges – and they come with bespoke sintered pads, too. Fully compatible with OE or aftermarket caliper fitments, and also available for most…

The Petronas racing project only lasted four seasons from start to finish – that is, if you can even call its fourth and final season in 2006 racing. The total amount of retirements from races achieved by Steve Martin and Craig Jones in the 2006 season was a whopping 22 from a combined total of 48 race starts, with a best finish of 11th by Steve Martin... little wonder that they didn’t come back in 2007. The season before in 2005 wasn’t much better, with 20 retirements registered from 47 race starts, and Steve Martin and Garry McCoy finished 18th and 22nd respectively in the championship standings with a combined points tally of just 50 points between both riders from the whole season. If you were going to race the…

As much as I do love a bit of beauty, there’s nothing that can beat an exhilarating bit of riding – and to be honest, I don’t think there’s a bike oozing that scintillating style like the Brutale range from MV. I mean, just look at it! Even at a standstill, it’s like it’s going 200mph with its sharp edges, aggressive stance and single sided swinger. In my humble opinion, this is how every naked bike should look; you know, like it’s going to punch you in the face if you give it half the chance. Unlike its refined sibling, the Brutale 800 appears raw and aggressive, and although they share a lot of the same components – mainly the chassis and engine, they couldn’t look further apart. One thing…

You’d be right in wondering why we’d cover such a bike as this – it’s not exactly core to us here at Fast Bikes, but the guys at Harley said that we shouldn’t miss this test of its torque-laden, power-cruising, all-new Sportster S 1250T. Completely redesigned from head to toe, it boasts an impressive spec upgrade and a revised philosophy to rival the likes of the Ducati’s audacious Diavel. There are times, every now and again, when it’s only right to step out of the comfort zone… and this seemed to be one of them. This bike joins the extensive line of Sportsters that date back to the 1950s, but rest assured – this new Harley is streets ahead of anything that came before. The redesign features vast and plentiful…

Tyres are just black and round, right? Well, not exactly. To be specific, they would be brown if it wasn’t for an ingredient called carbon black being added to the mix, but more about that later. The point is that it’s all too easy to just dismiss tyres as dull and unimportant because they aren’t colourful or noisy, which is doing them and the people who design, test and build them a massive disservice. It is true that, apart from a tread pattern, all tyres look the same, but it is also true that due to the complexity and variables of a tyre’s mechanical and chemical construction, they are anything but. Tyre tests that use rider feedback as well as lap times prove that they aren’t all the same, and…

TIME ON TEST: TWO MONTHS ODOMETER MILES BHP: 178/125Nm GAIN: N/A NEXT AIM: GET IT BACK I went into some detail last month about my lack of time in the seat over the past 18 Covid-ravished months to the point where I had been reticent to take ownership of the 1200RS for Fast Bikes. The lack of riding combined with the well-documented increases in the Triumph’s power jettisoning it in as a marked contender for the supernaked crown, did have me questioning my ability to tame a bike boasting such credentials. You have to keep in mind that I am the mild-mannered man of advertising, after all, diversifying in my role to give a bit of a real-world view of these exotic rides. My Fast Bikes colleagues fight over these…

LEARN FROM THE BEST. For the ultimate one-to-one instruction, which includes everything from initial bike checks to video playback and on/off track tuition tailored to suit all abilities from a former WSBK racer, check out Dean Ellison Rider Coaching at www.Ellison42.co.uk Since our second national lockdown started to relax and No Limits Trackdays began to run again, I’ve seen a lot of mistakes being made from a lack of knowledge – quite surprising when most of the core information is in your confirmation email and online briefing. Hopefully this article will help a few regulars and new trackday riders alike, but those seven 20-minute sessions are like gold and I don’t like wasting a single lap, so get yourself better prepared next time. Here’s how to make the most of…

IN BRIEF… Rider: Brod Wilson Track: Donington Park Series: No Limits Racing Class: Super Series 600 Fastest Lap: 1.36.5 Position(s): 5th, 8th, 5th Championship Position: 5th Excuse: Elbows weren’t out Well, just like that we find the season nearing the end, with Donington Park being the penultimate round on the No Limits Racing calendar and only Cadwell Park left to go. It’s scary how quick this season has passed, but I’m pleased that my confidence and determination to race competitively is back to what it once was. At the start of this season, I was pondering the idea of packing in the racing as I’d been riding like a fairy following last year’s crashes… I’ll admit it, I’d lost my head and didn’t feel I could push like I used…